


Shelter

by moretomhardy



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Fantastic Racism, Fluff, Hurt Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Love Confessions, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Some Humor, i hope anyways
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:02:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28485054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moretomhardy/pseuds/moretomhardy
Summary: Geralt is injured on a contract, then he and Jaskier are driven out of town on the cusp of a bad storm. They have to find a place to ride out the storm and get Geralt patched up.Not as whumpy as it sounds.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 10
Kudos: 171
Collections: Geraskier Holiday Exchange 2020





	Shelter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inanoldhouseinparis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inanoldhouseinparis/gifts).



> Written for a-broken-but-valuable-human on tumblr for the Geraskier Holiday Exchange! It was supposed to be for "little moments of casual intimacy," but the boys got excited and went a bit farther.

It took Geralt ages to come back out of the woods. Jaskier had finally finished the verse that had been troubling him and started an entirely new song before Geralt limped out of the woods, veins still running black with potions.

"There you are, what took so long?" Jaskier sprang up from the rock he'd been sitting on, notebook and pen abandoned behind himself.

"There were," Geralt paused to heave a long sigh, "a lot more of them than they thought there were."

"Are you hurt? You look exhausted."

"I'm fine, bard, I just need to rest," Geralt said as he approached Roach, patting her on the neck as he freed her reigns.

"Well then why are you limping?" Jaskier asked, gathering up his notebook, pen, and lute while Geralt swung into Roach's saddle.

"Took a fall." Geralt nudged Roach forward and Jaskier followed behind. "Twisted my ankle and probably broke a few bones in my foot."

"Well that sounds terrible, your poor foot!" Jaskier exclaimed. "Don't you need to wrap it up or something?"

Geralt huffed. "My boot keeps it well enough in place for now. It'll keep until we can get a room and I can give it proper attention."

"Oh, a room," Jaskier pitched his voice high, feigning shock, "are we really to have such a luxury as a whole, indoor room to ourselves?"

Geralt frowned down at Jaskier. "Storm is coming tonight. Would rather not be out in it."

"Ah, a practical measure after all. Maybe we can even get you a bath after all that monster slaying you did!"

"We'll see."

""We'll see," he says, like he doesn't love a good soak in a tub even more than I love a clean, soap-scented witcher."

Geralt smirked. "Don't want to get anyone's hopes up."

"Like they would deny you a bath after killing their hoard of monsters. My songs are having an affect on your reputation, you know."

"I know," Geralt's smirk changed into a shy little smile, "and I much appreciate the affect they have."

"You're too sweet, Witcher," Jaskier grinned.

\---

In the end Geralt was right to be cynical. When Geralt arrived at the alderman's door he barely managed to get paid before the alderman was ordering him out of town and threatening to call together to town militia to drive him out if he refused. Jaskier would have given that pompous, shrivelled little man a good piece of his mind if Geralt hadn't grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him off of the man's doorstep.

"The absolute nerve of that flea-ridden, louse-bitten toad of a man!" Jaskier seethed as he followed Geralt out of town. "I will write such a scathing song about his poxy little town that he'll be sorry to have ever crossed us!"

Geralt remained silent, but Jaskier started loudly spouting rude little ditties about the town, the surrounding area, its monster-choked river, and especially about it's alderman, until the town was lost over the horizon behind them. The afternoon was getting on by that point, and clouds were gathering thick above them while the wind picked up, true to Geralt's earlier prediction of a storm.

"I don't suppose there's some other town nearby that would let us buy a room?" Jaskier asked, not holding out much hope.

Geralt frowned and shook his head. "Nothing but a few isolated farms around for two days' travel."

"Wonderful." Jaskier cast his eyes around the open, hilly grasslands surrounding them. "And I suppose there's a reason you didn't take us back to the river with all the nice trees for cover back there?"

"Don't want to risk the river rising. Better to get drenched than to get swallowed up by the river in our sleep."

"That makes a regrettable amount of sense," Jaskier sighed. "Maybe we'll come upon one of these isolated farms you mentioned and be able to beg for shelter."

Geralt hummed.

"Great, stunning display of confidence," Jaskier muttered.

They walked for a few more minutes before the first, fat raindrops started to fall.

"Fuck," Geralt looked up at the sky, "thought we'd have some more time. Come on, we need to find somewhere we can hunker down before it hits in full."

"Geralt, look," Jaskier pointed at a house that had just appeared on the horizon in front of them, "I think that's one of your farms, if we hurry maybe we can make it before we're completely soaked."

Geralt's face twisted. "They'll never let me in. But," he looked down at Jaskier consideringly while the rain worsened around them, "surely they'll extend hospitality to you." He unbuckled one of Roach's saddlebags and pulled out his and Jaskier's travel cloaks, tossing Jaskier's to him. He put on his own cloak and closed the saddlebag before bringing Roach to a halt and holding a hand out for Jaskier. "Climb up. We'll never make it at foot speed."

Jaskier clambered up onto Roach, who huffed and stamped her displeasure over the situation, and settled himself behind Geralt. Geralt took a minute to soothe Roach before pushing her into a canter towards the distant farmhouse, which had been swallowed up completely out of Jaskier's view with the rain and falling dark.

The heavens opened up above them, and driving rain soaked through Jaskier's cloak with depressing speed. It couldn't have taken more than twenty or thirty minutes to reach the house, but Jaskier was completely and utterly drenched, not to mention cold and miserable, by the time Roach's hooves hit the neatly paved cobblestones that separated the house from the road.

"Go and see if they'll have you," Geralt shouted above the pounding rain. "I'll wait for you."

"What about you, where are you going?" Jaskier asked.

"Don't worry about me, Roach and I have survived worse, and we'll do it again, doubtless."

"That's ridiculous! Stay here, we'll all be staying inside tonight." Jaskier slithered down to the ground and ran up to the door, thankfully sheltered by a porch, where he knocked loudly.

A heavyset man getting on in years answered the door a few moments later. "Awful night to be travelling, son, come in out of that blasted weather."

"Thanks ever so," Jaskier said, "would you be so kind as to extend the invitation to my travelling companion, and maybe a space in your barn for his horse?"

Dark had fallen fully by then, and the farmer peered out past Jaskier into the sheets of rain, the light from his house only extending so far. "Have him come forward, lad, why does he stand so far off?"

Jaskier waved Geralt forward, who dismounted and approached the house slowly, his limp from earlier worsened after going untreated and riding all afternoon.

"A witcher," the farmer hissed when Geralt's eyes caught and reflected the firelight streaming through the door. "I won't have one in my house."

Jaskier started to protest, but the farmer cut him off, clapping a hand to Jaskier's shoulder. "Not to worry, lad, I won't throw you out, or leave that poor horse to suffer the storm." Roach was doing a good job of looking miserable, ears back and head down. "The witcher can stay in my barn, with the other animals."

"He's not an animal," Jaskier started to protest, only for Geralt to cut him off with a sharp,

"Jaskier!" He shook his head when Jaskier turned to look back at him. "It's better than I was expecting. Thank you."

Jaskier frowned as he turned back to the farmer. "Fine, we'll stay in the barn."

"There's no call for you to stay in the barn, lad," the farmer said. "I was just sitting down to dinner, don't mind you joining me for a bite. There ought to be enough you can take some out for your witcher, too, if you want."

"Fine," Jaskier sighed, "thank you for sharing your meal, I'm sure all our things are a bit waterlogged by now."

"Of course, laddie, of course, hospitality would have me do none other." The man patted Jaskier's shoulder before he looked at Geralt again, who was still standing out in the pouring rain a few steps back. "Go on, then, the barn's just out back," the man called, waiving an arm to the right. "Show yourself in, help yourself to hay and straw as you please."

Geralt bowed shallowly and lead Roach around the side of the house towards the barn door.

The farmer stood back from the door and Jaskier reluctantly stepped into the house, dripping water everywhere. The farmer introduced himself as Dale and directed Jaskier to strip off his soaked clothes and leave them by the fire to dry, then offered Jaskier the use of some of his own clothes in the meantime. Jaskier was grateful for the warmth, wherever they came from, and sat down at Dale's invitation to a hot bowl of vegetable stew with him.

"What has you out in that weather with a witcher, laddie?" Dale asked between bites.

"We're traveling companions, as I said, and we were driven out of Vernon after Geralt cleared their river of monsters, even though he was injured in their service -- a remarkable showing of their gratefulness that you can be sure I will memorialize in song, of course. See if another witcher answers a contract of theirs until they issue an apology."

Dale looked a bit baffled. "How is a town to offer an apology to a witcher? One that isn't likely to return to it, either?"

Jaskier waved a hand. "I'm sure they can think of something appropriate. Of course they could simply replace their great lout of an alderman and I'm sure some witchers would be tempted to return, should they have another problem."

"How often is a witcher needed in one little town, anyways?" Dale still looked confused. "I can't say I've ever had a call for a witcher, and though at one time there was something that ate my chickens up at an alarming pace, I figure that was an industrious fox, not anything more terrible."

"You would be surprised, especially towns on rivers. Usually Geralt will give some instruction on how to avoid drawing monsters to the area again, but of course that terrible man at Vernon didn't give him any time to get a word of explanation out after he said the monsters were dead."

"Seems bad for business, that. Once you've had a witcher in at all, they've already brought their bad luck with them. Might as well not offend such a creature on top of that."

"I find so often people think witchers bring bad luck, I do wonder why when they seem to bring good luck in the form of killed monsters and broken curses."

"I've heard the tales," Dale said, "and I've no wish to put them to the test. I live on luck out here on my own, you know."

"Well, we shall have to correct the tales. I've been travelling with this witcher for years and I've really only had good luck, for things that come down to luck."

"The bad luck comes after a witcher. You must be outrunning it, travelling with one."

"Well do you think you're inviting bad luck to your barn by letting him stay?"

Dale shrugged. "It's bad luck to refuse hospitality, too. I can only hope that will balance it out some."

"This is all very complex."

Dale chuckled. "Hard to appease gods and destiny and all of that."

Jaskier sighed and scraped up the last of his stew. "You said I could take some out to Geralt?"

"'Course, laddie, I have mushrooms and turnips to spare."

Jaskier filled his bowl again. Dale offered him an oiled cloak for the dash out to the barn, the rain not having lessened any while he ate. Jaskier stuck his head out the back door and shouted "Geralt!" across the courtyard. Geralt opened the barn door a few moments later and Jaskier pelted across the yard, nearly barrelling into Geralt as he blew into the barn.

"What's going on?" Geralt groused. He was stripped nearly naked, and looked a bit like a drowned rat.

"I brought you dinner!" Jaskier grinned, holding up the bowl. The hunk of bread on top had gotten a little soggy with the rain, but should still be good enough eating.

Geralt hummed and hobbled toward the back of the barn, leaving Jaskier to shut the door behind himself, plunging them into darkness.

"I guess it doesn't make sense to have a light in a barn, but it would have been nice to get a candle at least," Jaskier mused as he followed Geralt, doing his best not to trip over anything that might be strewn over the floor.

"A candle in a barn is asking for a catastrophe" Geralt grunted. His shadowy form sat down on what must be a pile of straw from the crinkling sound of it. "I'm happy enough to be out of the rain, don't hassle that poor man." Geralt looked up at Jaskier, traceable by his eyes that glowed faintly in the dark.

"I know, I know, folk tails and tradition are how people survive, spare me the details. Here's your stew, eat."

Geralt took the bowl and started scarfing down the stew and bread.

"How's your foot, darling?" Jaskier tried to sit down next to Geralt and ended up half-way in his lap instead.

Geralt wrapped an arm around Jaskier's waist and dragged him all the way into his lap.

"Well, this isn't too bad for being chased out of town and into a dreadful storm."

"Hm, I've done much worse." Geralt tipped the last of his stew into his mouth.

"I do notice you've dodged my question about your foot."

"Worse than I hoped," Geralt grumbled. "Should have taken care of it earlier, hard to do in the dark."

"Can I get a light for you to help?"

"We just talked about fire in the barn being a terrible idea."

"Oh, come on, Dale must have to come out here in the dark sometimes, he must have some kind of a lamp that's safe enough to use. I'll go ask him, all he can do is say no."

Geralt sighed, but he let go of Jaskier and let him climb out of his lap.

"Where's your bowl, I'll take it back with me."

Geralt pressed the bowl into Jaskier's hands. Jaskier heaved the door open, leaving it standing ajar for his return trip. He tumbled through the door again, finding Dale darning a sock in front of the fire.

"Your witcher's alright, then?" Dale asked, taking in the empty bowl.

"Overall he's fine, and very grateful for the roof over his head. But you may remember I mentioned he got hurt dealing with the contract in Vernon, and he needs to bandage up a foot. Have you got a lantern that's safe to use in the barn?"

Dale's face pinched into a frown. "I do. But I don't like the idea of it going out there without me, even in a storm like this a barn full of hay burns down quick as a flash."

"Well, do you think you'd mind terribly to come out with it? Just for a few minutes?"

"What's a witcher even need to bandage himself up for?" Dale squinted suspiciously. "Don't they heal instantly from any hurts?"

"Ah, not to ruin the mystique of witchers, but no, not exactly. He'll be up and stomping around like usual far sooner than you and I would, but it still takes time to heal, and he can have bones set wrong just like any old human can."

Dale groaned and rubbed his face, but he got up and trudged to the door to pull his boots on. "That witcher is lucky to have you."

"Oh, thank you, Dale, you're a gem in this desolate land."

"Okay, don't overdo it, son," Dale grumbled as he pulled on a cloak of his own and lit a lantern. "The things I do in my sentimental old age." Dale sighed as he opened the door, then he pulled up his hood and trudged out into the rain.

Jaskier dashed ahead, heaving the door wide for Dale as he went through it.

"Here we are, Geralt, I've brought you a light! And our generous host, as well."

Geralt scowled at Jaskier and grabbed for his soaked cloak to cover his naked shoulders. "You could have warned me."

"That's what I'm doing now, isn't it?"

"You could have warned me with enough time to put my clothes back on!"

"I'm sure I've seen worse than a little naked flesh," Dale said as he entered the barn with the lantern. "Don't wrap yourself up in that wet thing for my sake."

Geralt reluctantly let Jaskier pull the cloak off of him.

"Here we are," Dale hung the lantern on a hook, sweeping curious eyes over Geralt's pale, scarred skin and terribly bruised foot and ankle. "I suppose I'll just check on the animals while I'm out here unless you boys need me for something."

"No," Geralt said immediately. "Thank you for bringing the light."

Dale nodded and turned to the animals while Jaskier crouched next to Geralt. "Can I help you with anything, darling?"

"Don't think so," Geralt grunted. He got a little pot out of his potion satchel and rubbed the contents in over his ankle and foot, where the bruising was worst.

"Did you end up breaking your foot, do you think?"

"Yes, definitely." Geralt prided at his foot, then grabbed it and pushed until something snapped.

Jaskier jumped. "What was that? Geralt? What did you do?"

"That is why I should have attended to it earlier. Bone set wrong, had to rebreak it."

"In the space of an afternoon! Geralt, why didn't you stop earlier?"

Geralt determinedly stared down at his foot while he rubbed in more of his salve. "Wanted to find you somewhere decent to ride out the storm."

"Geralt," Jaskier sighed, "what would you have done if you were left out in the dark and the rain like you thought? Would you have been able to fix it up?"

Geralt was silent for a few long moments, then looked up at Jaskier with a guilty expression. "Would have left it alone until we got to Hillcrest and just rebreak the whole thing then."

"Geralt!" Jaskier's voice went shrill with distress. "Why?"

"I already said," Geralt's voice was gruff and he grabbed the pile of bandages he used to cushion his potion bottles when not in use and started wrapping up his foot. "Didn't want you to spend the night out in this."

"Well that's a terrible justification! You don't want me out in the rain for one night, so you decide you'll let your bones heal wrong for two or three days, then break them all again yourself after that? Really?"

"It's not..." Geralt gave a frustrated sigh, "I'm a witcher, Jaskier, it's not--"

"Oh, shut up with that absolute bullshit, Geralt, I'm very, very tired of hearing about how you're a witcher and therefore not worthy of the most basic human decency."

Geralt huffed, then winced as he pulled the bandage too tight.

"Be careful, darling, what was I just saying?"

Geralt unwound the bandage and started again.

"Geralt, come on," Jaskier sat next to Geralt and wrapped his arm around Geralt's waist, "tell me, really, why would you do that to yourself?"

Geralt tied off the bandage and leaned into Jaskier's side, not straightening up. "Don't want you to leave," he finally murmured, barely audible.

"Geralt, I have stuck to you like a particularly determined tick, even while you were actively trying to drive me away. What on earth gave you the idea that a night out in a storm would be the thing to finally make me go?"

Geralt shrugged and straightened up, pulling away from Jaskier.

"Oh no you don't." Jaskier wrapped his arms around Geralt and pulled him in close. Geralt nuzzled his nose up under Jaskier's jaw and hugged him back. "I don't think you can pretend witchers don't have feelings anymore."

Geralt hummed noncommittally.

"Nope, the jig is up. You were going to risk permanently crippling yourself just so I wouldn't have to get a little bit wet. There's absolutely no logic in that decision making process, dear, even you have to admit that, don't you?"

Geralt huffed and slumped a little further into Jaskier's arms. "There's pretty much no way I could have permanently crippled myself," he tried to defend himself.

"Oh, give it up, darling, I've seen through you. But you don't have to worry about a little water scaring me off. Honestly I'm surprised you haven't already realized I'm madly in love with you, I've written enough songs about it by now."

Geralt stiffened and tried to pull away, only for Jaskier to keep him squished to his side. "No, you're not going anywhere."

"You're... in love with me?" Geralt said quietly.

"Yes, yes I am, you great idiot." Jaskier released Geralt enough that he could look him in the face. "Is that okay?"

"Is that--" Geralt scowled. "Of course it's okay. I--" Geralt faltered, eyes darting away from Jaskier's, "I love you too."

Jaskier couldn't keep in his delighted laugh, but it made Geralt's face fall. "No, it's not that," Jaskier said between giggles. "I"m just happy! Come here and let me kiss you." Jaskier cupped Geralt's jaw and kissed him deeply, Geralt groaning and leaning into Jaskier's chest as he tangled their tongues together.

Geralt pulled away after a few moments, ignoring Jaskier's whine of protest. "Stop, we've given our host enough of an inconvenience for one night."

"Fuck," Jaskier broke into laughter again, face flaming as he realized Dale had been witness to their entire confession. "Sorry about that," Jaskier called out, voice high and embarrassed. He looked over to find Dale watching them over the back of his big draft horse as he brushed out its coat.

Dale shrugged. "Most entertainment I've had out here all year. I find it hard to believe you're coming back to the house with me after all that."

"Nope," Jaskier chirped, face still hot while Geralt buried his nose into the crook of Jaskier's neck. "I'm very happy right here where I am, thanks very much."

"To each their own," Dale sighed, putting up the brush and collecting the lantern. He paused and then took a few steps toward them. "I can take the witcher's things inside to dry by the fire, if you want. Won't be any trouble to have a few more things dripping on my floor."

"Oh, thank you, Dale, that's so thoughtful of you." Jaskier jumped up to gather Geralt's clothes and pass them off to Dale.

"Yeah, you're overdoing it again, son," Dale grumbled as he took the bundle of wet cloth. "The two of you will be fine out here, then?"

"Oh yes, I'm sure we'll be more than fine."

Dale nodded and set off back to the house, leaving Geralt and Jaskier in the dark once again.

"Well, that was not exactly how I envisioned that scene playing out," Jaskier said as he settled back in next to Geralt.

"No, definitely did not imagine it like that," Geralt grumbled, wrapping an arm around Jaskier.

"Aha, so you have imagined it?" Jaskier turned to wrap Geralt in his arms.

"'Course I did," Geralt ducked his head under Jaskier's chin again. "Just thought it was all wishful thinking."

"Even after I wrote an entire song about a white-haired lover I could never have? I thought for sure things were hopeless after that."

"That was me?"

"Of course! Did you think I was pining over some old woman?"

Geralt shrugged, shoulders shifting against Jaskier's chest. "You said they were like the moon. I figured the whole thing was a metaphor for the moon. Poets do that sort of thing."

Jaskier giggled again. "I suppose we do from time to time. But how did you justify the mention of the strength of the moon's sword arm?"

"The moon is a warrior, sometimes."

"I suppose she's an archer sometimes," Jaskier said. "But I can't think of a sword-wielding moon."

"Really?" Geralt sighed. "Showing my age on that, I guess."

Jaskier laughed again. "You'll have to tell me about your warrior moon goddess sometime. But for now, you have a lot of naked skin that I am very interested in exploring, hm?" Jaskier ran a hand down Geralt's back.

"Hm," Geralt kissed Jaskier's collarbone and swept a hand up Jaskier's stomach. "Only if you return the favour."

"Darling," Jaskier whipped off his shirt and straddled Geralt's lap, "I would only be too happy."

\---

The next morning dawned clear as a bell, the sky's brilliant blue reflected in puddles around the yard when Jaskier pulled the barn door open.

"Beautiful!" Jaskier said as he took a big breath of cool, sharp air.

"The road is going to be muddy as all hell," Geralt growled from behind Jaskier.

"Always looking on the bad side of things, that's what I can count on you for," Jaskier chuckled. He turned around and kissed Geralt's nose.

Geralt threw his head up and back, looking alarmed.

"Oh no," Jaskier laughed, "affection, whatever will you do?"

Geralt hummed and kissed Jaskier's forehead quick as a snake, turning and walking over to Roach almost before Jaskier had realized what happened.

Jaskier grinned and followed him. "Foot doing better now? The limping looks better."

"Yes," Geralt said as he got Roach tacked up. "It's on its way to healing, just needs another day or two."

"Good. I'll go get our things from inside and we can be on our way." Jaskier made his way across the yard, nearly slipping in a patch of mud only once, and hesitantly made his way inside. Dale was thankfully up as well, and he sent them on their way with the bread leftover from last night and a chunk of cheese.

"I hope this will change your mind about witchers bringing bad luck," Jaskier said to Dale while Geralt packed up the last of the bags.

"Don't get your hopes all up, laddie," Dale sighed, "the bad luck will come only after he's moved on. We'll see after that what I've got myself into."

"Well, if we come by this way again I'll have to stop in and hope to find you still flourishing."

Dale snorted. "Flourishing seems generous. I'll take still living and with enough to spare for unlucky travellers."

Geralt came across the yard then, hair curly after drying haphazardly last night and looking radiant, in Jaskier's humble opinion. "Thank you for your kindness," Geralt inclined his head towards Dale, standing several paces away and doing his best to look non-threatening. Roach tossed her head impatiently beside him.

"It's the least I could do," Dale said, crossing his arms.

Geralt hummed and mounted up, Roach dancing eagerly under him. He guided her out onto the road, which seemed to have fared better than Geralt's grumbling from earlier had feared. Jaskier waved to Dale and followed Geralt and Roach, swinging his lute around to play a cheerful ditty in the brightness of the new day.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how quickly witchers heal broken bones, and the internet did not provide me a quick answer so... sorry if this healing timeline is contradicted in the books I haven't got to yet!
> 
> This fic is [rebloggable on tumblr here](https://moretomhardy.tumblr.com/post/639180788182777856/shelter)!
> 
> Find me [on tumblr](https://moretomhardy.tumblr.com), where I mostly multi-ship Geralt these days.


End file.
